Miami Valley Facing Firefighter Shortage

The City of Trotwood is hiring full-time firefighters for the first time in years. The city is one of many in the Dayton-area now facing a shortage.

The spike in job openings can be partially attributed to the rising number of retiring Miami Valley firefighters.The city of Cincinnati alone had 17 firefighters retire in the last year.

Trotwood Fire Chief Steve Milliken says it’s happening because a lot of firefighters were hired in the 1980s, when many Ohio fire departments switched from all-volunteer staffs to paid staffs. They’re now in their fifties, and reaching retirement age.

“And so we’re seeing that large turnover suddenly that we haven’t seen for many years,” said Milliken. “And that is obviously affecting our hiring pool”

Milliken says it’s been hard to find replacements. He says fire academy enrollment has dropped in the past few years.

“There’s just not enough potential employees to meet the demands of each of these communities,” said Milliken.

Other cities also currently hiring firefighters or paramedics include include Dayton, Washington Township, and Kettering.